This invention relates to apparatus for handling disk recording media and in particular to novel improved methods and apparatus for transducing operations on "disk packs", especially for double-sided transducer operation.
Workers in the data recording and related record handling arts are cognizant of today's advanced state of the art; e.g., in improved disk recording media and associated record handling equipment. Such equipment is now widely used, especially in the form of "flexible or floppy" disks. The present invention is intended to supplement improved disk handling equipment adapted to handle packs of such flexible disk media, providing improved means to prepare the disks and manipulate the heads for improved, simpler transducing operations.
Workers are well aware that, along with their advantages, "floppy disk" media have long presented certain problems. Some workers have despaired of finding any simple, practical means of accessing individual selected recording surfaces in a "floppy disk pack" in the precise, rapid, repeatable manner that is typically required--this principally because a floppy substrate seemed so difficult to hold in position and stabilize. And it is not surprising that workers have anticipated tremendous difficulties in precisely positioning a Read/Write head between tissue-thin floppy disks' separated by no more than a few mils, let along doing so quickly and simply. This invention facilitates such operations in an improved transducing arrangement and associated technique. The invention is intended to provide means, with associated "floppy pack" processing equipment which is adapted to simply and automatically give good access to a transducer assembly, and is especially adapted to give access to double-sided transducer assemblies--and doing so with automatic equipment which is relatively simple, yet cost-effective, while presenting no danger of damaging the thin fragile disks.
The present invention is particularly designed to accommodate a pack of hole-encoded disks, (as described in the above-cited applications) as well as the positioning manipulations associated therewith--more specifically, to provide disk selection and related transducer access with automatic equipment. The present invention overcomes the foregoing and other disadvantages of prior art structures and methods and provides the mentioned and other features and advantages according to a novel design.
More particularly, this invention teaches techniques and associated means for effecting controlled reliable transducer access of a partitioned stack, preferably using a diverter-shield means and an associated head mount deployed protectedly under the shield and arranged to retain the transducer head out of media-engagement except when properly positioned for transducing operations, when it is automatically projected for medium-engagement. Also mounted under the shield preferably is a combination stabilizer/cleaner array arranged to engage the transducing surface with a "wiper member" just upstream of the associated head. Preferably, a pair of such transducer-shield arrays are mounted in opposition with upper and lower wiper-members and upper and lower head/pad arrays arranged so as to engage an intermediate record medium "opposingly", and squeezed lightly from opposite sides.
The foregoing and other features, objects and advantages, according to the present invention will be more fully appreciated and become more apparent from consideration of the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings wherein like reference symbols denote like parts.